Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Reviews Thane-Borivali Tunnel Project, Sets 2028 Deadline
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed officials to ensure that no public infrastructure project faces delays and that all projects are completed within three years of their commencement. The directive was issued during a review meeting of the Thane to Borivali twin tunnel project, which is set to be completed by December 2028.
The review meeting was held on Thursday at the Cabinet Hall of the Vidhan Bhavan and was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as well as other key officials.
The twin tunnel project will span a length of 11.84 kilometers. CM Fadnavis emphasized the importance of maintaining proper ventilation inside the tunnels, requiring officials to facilitate the acquisition of additional land from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park for this purpose.
He also instructed the forest department to obtain the second phase of the necessary clearances, including the required permissions to carry out night-time work. The Chief Minister urged that work on the Borivali side of the project proceed rapidly, with a focus on expediting the rehabilitation of affected people. He called for a swift implementation of the rehabilitation program, to be completed within one month.
In his address, Fadnavis also directed the authorities to coordinate with various agencies to provide housing or rental compensation to those affected by the project. An official will be appointed to oversee the rehabilitation process, which must be completed within one month. Furthermore, the Chief Minister stressed the need to acquire necessary land for the Adani and Tata Power projects located on the Borivali side.
Fadnavis also instructed the Adani Power Company to provide final road planning for the underground power transmission lines, which are part of the project.
Project Overview
The Thane to Borivali twin tunnel project will be implemented in two packages: Package One (5.75 km) from Borivali and Package Two (6.09 km) from Thane. The total project cost is estimated to be Rs12,057 crore, with Package One costing Rs 6,178 crore and Package Two costing Rs 5,879 crore.
Once completed, the project will result in a significant reduction in carbon emissions, estimated at 1.4 lakh metric tons per year. At present, it takes about 60 to 75 minutes to travel between Thane and Borivali via the existing road. However, with the completion of the tunnel, the travel time is expected to drop to just 15 minutes, saving a substantial amount of fuel.
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